# US 12,000,180 B2 · Vehicle door handle with multiple switching units

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- Number: US 12,000,180 B2
- Document ID: US12000180B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/178,568
- Filed: 2021-02-18
- Published: 2021-08-26
- Granted: 2024-06-04
- Earliest claimed: 2020-02-20
- Assignees: Minebea AccessSolutions Deutschland GmbH
- Applicants: Minebea AccessSolutions Deutschland GmbH
- Inventors: Marc-Tell Lammich; Dietmar Krauss; Valerio Vona; Rajni Chauhan
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12000180B2

## CPC

- E05B 81/76: Detection of handle operation; Detection of a user approaching a handle; Electrical switching actions performed by door handles
- H01H 9/54: Circuit arrangements not adapted to a particular application of the switching device and for which no provision exists elsewhere
- E05Y 2400/854: Switches
- G07C 9/00309: {operated with bidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks}
- G07C 2209/65: using means for sensing the user's hand
- E05B: LOCKS; ACCESSORIES THEREFOR; HANDCUFFS
- H01H: ELECTRIC SWITCHES; RELAYS; SELECTORS; EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE DEVICES (contact cables H01B7/10; electrolytic self-interrupters H01G9/18; emergency protective circuit arrangements H02H; switching by electronic means without contact-making H03K17/00)
- E05Y: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASSES E05D AND E05F, RELATING TO CONSTRUCTION ELEMENTS, ELECTRIC CONTROL, POWER SUPPLY, POWER SIGNAL OR TRANSMISSION, USER INTERFACES, MOUNTING OR COUPLING, DETAILS, ACCESSORIES, AUXILIARY OPERATIONS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR, APPLICATION THEREOF
- G07C: TIME OR ATTENDANCE REGISTERS; REGISTERING OR INDICATING THE WORKING OF MACHINES; GENERATING RANDOM NUMBERS; VOTING OR LOTTERY APPARATUS; ARRANGEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS FOR CHECKING NOT PROVIDED FOR ELSEWHERE

## Abstract

A vehicle door handle and a corresponding system is described. The vehicle door handle comprises a first pair of switches with a first on-off switching unit and a second on-off switching unit, wherein the switching units of the first pair of switches are arranged adjacent to one another on the car door handle, the first on-off switching unit is connectable to a first input of a control unit as to control switching between a high level and a low level at the first input, and the second on-off switching unit is connectable to a second input of the control unit as to control switching between a high level and a low level at the second input.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A vehicle door handle, comprising:
a first pair of switches comprising a first on-off switching unit and a second on-off switching unit, wherein,
the switching units of the first pair of switches are arranged adjacent to one another on the door handle,
the first on-off switching unit is connectable to a first input of a control unit to control switching between a high level and a low level at the first input,
the second on-off switching unit is connectable to a second input of the control unit to control switching between a high level and a low level at the second input, and
an inverting unit to invert a functionality of the second on-off switching unit such that a second branch comprising the second on-off switching unit and being connectable to the second input of the control unit, behaves in the opposite way than a first branch which includes the first on-off switching unit and is connectable to the first input of the control unit.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The vehicle door handle according to claim 1, wherein:
a first terminal of the first on-off switching unit is connected to a first potential via a first resistor,
a second terminal of the first on-off switching unit is connected to a second potential via a second resistor, and
the second terminal of the first on-off switching unit is connectable to the first input of the control unit.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The vehicle door handle according to claim 2, wherein:
a first terminal of the second on-off switching unit is connected to the first potential via a third resistor,
a second terminal of the second on-off switching unit is connected the second potential via a fourth resistor, and
the second terminal of the second on-off switching unit is connectable to the second input of the control unit.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The vehicle door handle according to claim 1, wherein the an inverting unit comprises a first terminal, a second terminal, and a third terminal.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The vehicle door handle according to claim 4, wherein:
a first terminal of the first on-off switching unit is connected to a first potential via a first resistor,
a second terminal of the first on-off switching unit is connected to a second potential via a second resistor, and
the second terminal of the first on-off switching unit is connectable to the first input of the control unit.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The vehicle door handle according to claim 5, wherein:
a first terminal of the second on-off switching unit is connected to the first terminal of the inverting unit,
a second terminal of the second on-off switching unit is connected the second potential via a fourth resistor, and
the second terminal of the second on-off switching unit is connectable to the second input of the control unit.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The vehicle door handle according to claim 6, wherein:
the second terminal of the inverting unit is connected to a first terminal of a third resistor,
a second terminal of the third resistor is connected to the second terminal of the second on-off switching unit, and
the third terminal of the inverting unit is connected to the first potential.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The vehicle door handle according to claim 7, wherein the inverting unit is arranged to connect the second terminal of the inverting unit to the third terminal of the inverting unit if the second switch is open and to disconnect the second terminal of the inverting unit from the third terminal of the inverting unit if the second switching unit is closed.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The vehicle door handle according to claim 8, wherein the inverting unit comprises a first and a second transistor.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The vehicle door handle according to claim 9, wherein the first transistor comprises a PNP transistor, and the second transistor comprises an NPN transistor.

### Claim 11 (depends on 9)

The vehicle door handle according to claim 9, wherein:
the first potential is ground, and
the second potential is a positive voltage.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The vehicle door handle according to claim 11, wherein:
an emitter of the first transistor is connected to the second terminal of the second on-off switching unit, and
an emitter of the second transistor is connected to ground.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The vehicle door handle according to claim 12, wherein the door handle further comprises:
a fifth resistor connected between the first terminal of the second on-off switching unit and ground;
a sixth resistor connected between the first terminal of the second on-off switching unit and a base of the first transistor;
a seventh resistor connected between a collector of the first transistor and a base of the second transistor; and
an eighth resistor connected between the base of the second transistor and ground.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The vehicle door handle according to claim 13, wherein the collector of the second transistor is connected to the second terminal of the inverting unit.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

The vehicle door handle according to claim 1, further comprising a second pair of switches with a third on-off switching unit and a fourth on-off switching unit.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The vehicle door handle according to claim 15, wherein:
the third on-off switching unit is connected in parallel to the first on-off switching unit, and
the fourth on-off switching unit is connected in parallel to the second on-off switching unit.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The vehicle door handle according to claim 16, wherein the switching units of the second pair of switches are arranged adjacent to one another on the door handle.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The vehicle door handle according to claim 17, wherein the first pair of switches and the second pair of switches are spaced apart.

### Claim 19 (depends on 1)

A vehicle door handle system, comprising:
the vehicle door handle according to claim 1, and
the control unit.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The vehicle door handle system according to claim 19, wherein the control unit is adapted to detect an opening or closing request for a car door based on the first input of the control unit and the second input of the control unit.